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TheCannibal
byJohnHawkes

3.68

AboutJohnHawkes
ratingdetails199ratings19reviews

"NosynopsisconveysthequalityofthisnowfamousnovelaboutanhallucinatedGermanyincollapse
afterWorldWarII.JohnHawkes,inhissearchforameanstotranscendoutwornmodesoffictional
realism,hasdiscoveredahighlyoriginaltechniqueforobjectifyingtheperennialdegradationof
mankindwithinacontextoffantasyNowherehasthenightmareofhumanterror...more
Paperback,195pages
PublishedJanuary17th1962byNewDirections(firstpublished1949)
moredetails...
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JohnHawkes,bornJohnClendennin
TalbotBurneHawkes,Jr.,wasa
postmodernAmericannovelist,known
fortheintensityofhiswork,which
suspendedthetraditionalconstraintsofthe
narrative.
BorninStamford,Connecticut,andeducatedat
HarvardUniversity,HawkestaughtatBrown
Universityforthirtyyears.Althoughhe
publishedhisfirstnovel,TheCannibal,in1949,
itwasTheLimeTwig(196...more
MoreaboutJohnHawkes...

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BestBooksoftheDecade:1940's

NovelsSetinGermany

181stoutof399books515voters

166thoutof254books110voters
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CommunityReviews
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markmondayratedit

(showing130of753)

Nov02,2010

Shelves:alphateam,unstablenarratives

anotherforgottenandbrilliantclassic.thechallengingwritingstylewillputcasual
readersoff,butformeitwasgreatexperiencingthisbizarre,sinisterdreamscapeofa
postww2germany.orreallyanykindofblightedpostwarcity,tryingtorebuild.at
timesitreadslikeaperversecounterpointtomrs.dalloway,completewithitsown
scarierversionofseptimussmith.overallasordidbutgorgeousnovel.themajestic
heroinewilldoanythingittakestosurviveeatup!
17likesLikeseereview
NateDratedit

Oct18,2013
Recommendsitfor:foxeswhomayyetescapetheirhunters
RecommendedtoNateDby:Thedogsthatchasethetraintobecomepayingcustomers
Shelves:readin2013,newdirections,favorites,40safterwar

What'smostastonishingaboutthislandscapeofdestructionisnotitscynicalandmorally
ambiguoustreatmentof20thcenturyhistorysomewhereperhapsonthepostwar
continuumcontainingCatch22,Gravity'sRainbow,EuropeAftertheRain,and
SlaughterhouseFive,allofthoselessjournalistic,moreimpressionisticattemptsto
comprehendthedisastersofthelasthundredyearsbutthattheCannibalseeksmuch
thesameperspective,butfrommuchmuchclosertotheeventsthemselves,orig...more
12likesLikeseereview
PaulGleasonratedit

Apr08,2013

IliterallyjustfinishedreadingHawkes'novelandfeelcompelledtowriteaboutit,even
thoughit'sjustnowpassingintomydigestivetrack.But,thenagain,Idon'tthinkthatI'll
evergetthisastonishingnovelfullyintomystomachandthat'sagoodthing.
TheCannibalisoneofthosebooksthatwillnevereasemyhunger.Itwillresideinmy
bodyfortherestofmydays.I'msogladit'sthere.
MyfirstrumblingsonfinishingTheCannibalhavetodowithwhatHawkescompletes
andwhath...more
9likesLikeseereview
AllanMacDonellratedit

Mar28,2014

AnovelsetinaGermanhamletintheimmediateaftermathofWorldWarIIwouldbe
remissifitwerentanightmarishelucidationofthedarkestrecessesavailabletothe
humansoul.ThecommunityofcrippledWorldWarlosersandthepassingcolumnof
arrogantvictorsdoingtheirmurkyplottinginJohnHawkessTheCannibaltakereaders
intodegradedregionsofambitionandendeavorbeyondwherelightcanhopetoreach.
Theview,thoughnotclear,isclearlybleak.Hawkessdeludedandmurderous...more
3likesLikeseereview
Jamesratedit
Shelves:owned,mccaffrey100,readin2014

Mar16,2014

4/5
It'seasytoseewhyJohnHawkeswasnamecheckedintheinfamousMr.Difficultessay.
Hawkesusesaveryspareframeworktotellthisstory,andtobequitehonestIcouldhave
donesomerereadingtoreallysinkmyteethintobook.Mygutreactionfrommyhurried
readingwasthatIneedtoreadmoreHawkes,soI'mgoingtojuststophereandmarvel
inthefactthatthiswassomeone'sdebutnovelinthelateforties.BringonTheLimeTwig

TriviaAboutTheCannibal

Notriviaorquizzesyet.Addsomenow

!
3likesLikeseereview
VitBabencoratedit

Apr12,2014

SurreallytenebrousnovelTheCannibalremindedmeofPedroPramobyJuanRulfo
althoughthematicallytheyareprettydifferentbothtaleshavethicksuffocating
atmosphereofdescendingintohell.
Theflatsturnedawaybeforeus,unpeopled,dark,anoccasionalshellcasefillingwith
seepage,thefingersofalostglovecurlingwithdew.Behindustheghostsleftthestalled
tankandfileddownwardtowardthecanal.
Civilizationhidessomeprimordialhungersandwhentherulesareremovedwe...more
2likesLikeseereview
Amyratedit
Shelves:bookclub,cultfiction

May04,2011

Tobehonest,Idon'treallyknowwhathappenedinthisbook.Parts1&3takeplaceatthe
endofWW2,whilePart2happensaroundWW1,butalltakeplaceinafictionalGerman
town.TheonlycharactersharedbybothpartsisStellaSnow,andfromwhatIcantell,
shebasicallyjustslutsitup.There'salsoaguyonamotorcycleAngelofDeath?Poor
sap?whoknows...
2likesLikeseereview
Reidratedit

Feb07,2013

Recommendsitfor:Hawkesfans,warinterests
RecommendedtoReidby:authorviaS.Penk'sotherreview
Shelves:literatureclassics,2013,review,3stars
Thisreviewhasbeenhiddenbecauseitcontainsspoilers.Toviewit,clickhere.
1likeLikeseereview
Carlratedit

Apr05,2009

It'snotasgoodas'TheLimeTwig',stillmyfavoriteoftheHawkesI'vereadinthesame
generalveinas'TheBeetleLeg'butnotasrealizedIMHO.Allthreeofthemmakesense
ashisfirstthreenovels,comparedtoabooklike'TheBloodOranges',wherehe'sleftthe
surrealnightmarescapesbehind.Incrediblyimpressivefora22yearoldinthelate
1940s.Heisadifficultwriter,itisdisjointedinnarrativeandminimalinplot,andyetI
amdrawntohiswork,inawaythatIcan'texpla...more
1likeLikeseereview
Amandaratedit

Feb19,2012

Sparselanguageripewithimagery.Thedevastationseepsfromeveryword.
1likeLikeseereview
Codyratedit

Jul26,2013

IfinishedTheCannibalacoupledaysagoandnowontoTheLimeTwig.Thefirstfew
attemptstoreadTheCannibaldidn'tgooversowell.Iwouldgettoaboutpage20
somethingandstopnotsurewhatwashappening.Butonethingthatalwaysdrewme
backtothisbookwasHawkes'brilliantdescriptions.They'rebeautifullywrittenand
composed.Ilovethefactthere'shardlyanddialogueinit.IfHawkeshadwrittenthisasa
movieitwouldbeaninterestingsilentfilm.UnfortunatelyIdidn'tkn...more
Likeseereview
Andyratedit

Oct14,2007

Hasthatgrim,"experimentalliterature"textfocussedflavor,rathersterile.That
soulless"academywriting"atmosphereisactuallyafinematchforthenightmare
conceptionoftheaction,likeagrimmusicvideoshotinostentatiouslygrainy
"experimentalfilm"blackandwhite.Buttheauthordoesn'thavenearlyasmuchtosay
ashistechniqueletson(orhissubjectmatterwouldseemtodemand)andtheopacity
becomesirritating.Thiskindoffreestyleapproachreallyrequiresaperfectcont...more
Likeseereview

Hodgesratedit
Shelves:american,male,newdirections,1940s

Feb05,2015

Sevenhalfstarsandaneedtochew,digest,andexpelfrommysystem.
Notetoself:readitagainxyearsfromnow,becauseitwillundoubtedlybeadifferent
book.
Likeseereview
Poinguratedit
Shelves:original_voices,vajric

May11,2015

Ok,Ireallyhatedthisbook,butIgiveitfivestars.Letmeexplain.Ihadtoputitdowna
lotsortoftheequivalentofcoveringmyeyesatthemovies.Readingitdidstrange,bad
thingstomyheartrate.Thebookisamasterpieceofobliqueanxietyanddespair.Events
aremuchmoreunhingedthaninKafka,withwhomHawkesissometimescompared.
Disturbingandunique.
Likeseereview
robertratedit

Dec08,2010

Thisrightlyfeelslikeayoungman'sbook,becauseitsauthorwasonly24whenitwas
published.Duetotheintroduction,Icoulddiscerntheopaqueplothiddeninthemurky
prose,butthisstillreadlikealong,allegorical,freeverseprosepoem.Thehorrordid
notresonateforme,perhapsbecauseIfeltnoemotionalmomentum.
Likeseereview
PeteCampratedit

Jun01,2014

CertainlybeautifullywrittenandverylayeredtaleofGermanyimmediatelyfollowing
WW11.Fullofdespairandverydark.WillhavetorereadtofullydecipherHawkes'
meaning.Greatreadhowever.
Likeseereview
DougHartratedit

Jan28,2009

Shelves:60snewwave

Strange,strangetaleaboutsoldierturnedgrimreaperlikebikerinpostWWII
Germany.Hardtofigureoutwhat'sgoingonmostofthetimebutHawkes'corrosive
poetrymorethanmakesupforthelackofplot.
Likeseereview
Canamarkeditastoread

May23,2013

Amazingliteraturesofar!Veryintriguedbythewritersskillandabilitytopaintapicture
ofnotonlythescenebutalsothecharactersthemselves!
Likeseereview
Lizaratedit
Shelves:bookgroup

May24,2010

couldn'tdoit....toomuchartybleakdescription.
Likeseereview
CalebRapkinsmarkeditastoread
Jun01,2015

MatthewGolinskimarkeditastoread
May31,2015

Guccilolaratedit
May29,2015

Jmarkeditastoread
May29,2015

AlecMinieromarkeditastoread
May27,2015

Muratratedit
May27,2015

Nicolemarkeditastoread
May24,2015

Whomarkeditastoread
May23,2015

Craigmarkeditastoread
May23,2015

BillWallacemarkeditastoread
May22,2015

MichaelGroganmarkeditastoread
May22,2015

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